Monthly Archives: May 2024

movie time

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Before TV became common place, the only means to view any news ‘videos’ was the “MovieTone News” – a short shown before the main feature in movie theatres. Such palaces seem a bit quaint today with huge high resolution … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on movie time

just right

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Remember the fairy tale, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”? Well, like the little heroine, photographers found the medium format cameras “Just Right” In issue 30-3 of our journal, the late Bill Belier did a short survey of the earlier … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on just right

and a sida camera with that, please

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Robert

Toronto.  In the late 1930s, the ‘minicam’ revolution was well under way. The craze centred on cameras using 35mm ‘movie film’ or similar  sized paper backed roll film. An enlarger was a ‘must’ for even pocket sized prints. A small … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on and a sida camera with that, please

not just a pretty face …

Posted on May 18, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Collectors usually prefer to acquire a pristine example of a particular camera model. That is not always the case. Member Ed Warner picked up an Eastman View No1 a couple of decades ago as a ‘basket case’. Ed used … Continue reading →

Posted in fair | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on not just a pretty face …

what ever happened to …

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. As you browse the old photos at our fairs, do you ever wonder what happened to the people you see? The image at left is from a dry plate I bought some years ago at one of our fairs … Continue reading →

Posted in fair | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on what ever happened to …

another, and another, and another …

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Robert

. .. Wow! Wall to wall cameras and photo goodies at our coming fair. The image at left is from our spring 2017 fair at the ‘palace’. Come on down on the 26th  and see what you can find to … Continue reading →

Posted in fair | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on another, and another, and another …

powder … POOF!

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. The early light sensitive media were far too insensitive for dusk, night or  indoor shots (studios used long exposures, a means to hold the subject very still,  and large windows, ideally facing north, to let in copious amounts of … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on powder … POOF!

Triumph of the Image

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. My good friend, George Dunbar, recently dropped me a line mentioning a NY Times article about at a Museum in Belgium. The article, titled, “Triumph of the Image” is an archived writing by Luc Sante. George writes, ”  A … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Triumph of the Image

you’re stringing me on …

Posted on May 13, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. … a comment that may have entered the mind of an 1888 photographer seeing Eastman’s ad for his new camera. Before the Kodak was offered, cameras were mainly large, heavy devices that took only a few shots at most. … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on you’re stringing me on …

June Bug

Posted on May 12, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Entomology is the science of bugs. An offshoot of photography is close-up shots of bugs and bug parts for books, magazines, education, study, etc. Each spring we experience white grubs just below the surface. Skunks consider them delicacies and … Continue reading →

Posted in fair | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on June Bug